Falling For You
by isaacswolfsbane
Summary: Dean's an artist living in London and his flatmate, Parvati, thinks it's time he finds a partner. Online dating!au


**Falling For You**

Dean bends closer to his art pad as he drew in some of the finer details of the sketch he's doing. It's a white ink piece on black paper. The combination of white on black has always been Dean's favourite, even though creating detail and shading is significantly harder than using black ink or a pencil on white paper. Or rather, Dean suspects it's _because_ it's harder that he prefers it; he has always enjoyed a challenge.

The audiobook Dean had been listening to finishes, and he looks up to see the morning sun coming in through the blinds. He hadn't even noticed it get dark, yet he's been working on the same project all night and he can barely see any progress. His stomach rumbles and Dean realises he's been so focused on his art that he can't remember the last time he'd eaten.

He sets down his pen and heads into the kitchen. Sleep would have been preferable since as soon as he noticed how late he had stayed up, tiredness hit him all at once, but he figured he should have something to eat first.

"Hey, roomie."

Parvati, who's sat eating a bowl of cereal at the kitchen table, rolls her eyes. "We've been living together for almost four months now, Dean. You can stop calling me 'roomie'."

"But it's fun!"

"You need to get out more. Go on a date or something."

Dean lets out a small laugh. "With who? Everyone I know I either went to school with, work with, or live with, and none of those seem like a particularly great start for a relationship."

"So meet someone new. Set up an online dating profile or something." Parvati gets up and dumps her empty bowl in the sink. "Just please meet _someone_ so I don't have to put up with you being annoying in the mornings all the time." She winks at him. It's Parvati's way of letting Dean know she's joking, even though he's already told her it's always clear in her tone.

"Who meets someone online?" Dean asks. "Isn't it only people who are desperate that actually stoop that low?"

"Lavender and I met online," Parvati says. Her tone is more clipped than usual and Dean suspects he's hit a nerve.

"Okay, so you're the one lucky couple out of no doubt hundreds of desperate weidos. It's not how I want to meet somebody."

Parvati rolls her eyes once more. "Dean, you never leave the house apart from when you get called into work. Online is the only way you'd actually meet someone."

* * *

Dean isn't sure how this has happened, but he had woken to up Parvati knocking on his door and now he's sitting in front of his computer which she finishes making the last improvements to his new dating profile.

 _ **Dean Thomas**_ _, 23, London_

 _Interested in: men and women._

 _Artist and amateur photographer looking for someone to bore with details other than his flatmate (who's a saint for having to put up with his ramblings). Perfectionist, cat lover, and a little bit too into West Ham football team (seriously, Dean, it's creepy how much you love them)._

 _Introverted so unlikely to send the first message. If you can hold a decent conversation and get Dean out of the house occasionally then send a message this way._

— _profile created by aforementioned flatmate._

"I'm still not sure about this, Parvati," Dean says. "What if they're all creeps?"

"Then you'll understand how women feel for once," she says with a wink as she clicks submit.

They both wait with baited breath for someone to send a message. Well, Dean does, but he expects Parvati isn't nearly as nervous as he is.

It's only a minute or two before the computer dings with a message, but to Dean, it feels so much longer. Parvati clicks open.

 _Received: secs ago_

 _Isaac: Artist, eh? Bet you're good with your hands. Wanna give my brush a stroke? ;)_

Dean shudders. "See, this is why I didn't want to do this," he says. "Who thinks 'brush' is a good euphemism for penis anyway?"

Parvati laughs. "Oh, you'll get worse. Just give it time."

"You knew this was going to happen, didn't you? You're evil."

"Of course. It is a good way to meet people, though. There will be some people that aren't creeps." Parvati stands. "I'm going to make myself dinner. Want me to make extra fo you?"

"Please."

* * *

"Look at this!" Dean says, barging into the kitchen where Parvati is straining some pasta over the sink and holding his laptop up for her to see. "Dick pic, dick pic, dick pic, bad pun, dick pic, terrible innuendos, dick pick. It never ends! This was a waste of time."

"Who's that?" Parvati asks. She's pointing at a message towards the bottom of the page that Dean hasn't opened yet. "He looks nice from his picture."

Dean shrugs. "Haven't opened it. I got bored of all the dick pics so gave up."

Parvati gives him a look that almost seems to be daring him not to open it. It's a look Parvati has perfected since living with Dean and it's not one he wants to cross so he clicks it open.

 _Received: 1h ago._

 _Seamus: Hey, I saw you're an artist. That's cool. I've just come back from Rome and loved visiting the Sistine Chapel._

"See," Parvati says with a smirk. "Someone who isn't creepy."

Dean bites his lip. He wants to reply, he just isn't always the best with words so isn't sure how to reply. Luckily, Parvati is there to help him and he crafts what he hopes is a good reply.

 _Sent: secs ago._

 _Dean: Hey, Seamus. You're so lucky. I've always wanted to visit Rome but I've never been able to. You'll have to tell me all about it. Did you see the Trevi Fountain? I really want to see that in person._

Nerves kick back in as soon as the message is sent. This isn't the sort of thing Dean has ever thought of doing before, and he can't believe Parvati managed to convince him to do this.

"So, what does his profile say?" Parvati asks. Dean is grateful she's given him something to focus on while he waits for a reply.

 _ **Seamus Finnegan**_ _, 23, London_

 _Interested in: Men and women._

 _Irishman living in London and missing the green fields of home. Scientist specialising in chemistry (and that's not just the chemistry between me and you). Some may call me a pyromaniac, I just call it a scientific interest in fire._

" _If it doesn't burn a little, then what's the point in playing with fire?"_

Dean's heart feels like it drops a little. "He's a madman—he plays with fire. I knew it was too good to be true."

"No," Parvati says. "He's a madman who _gets paid_ to play with fire. Now, eat."

She finishes dishing up dinner and places a plate in front of each of them. Dean's eyes barely stray from his computer screen as he eats. When they do stray, his attention is always brought back by the ping of a new message, but none of them are from Seamus.

"Why hasn't he replied?" Dean asks as Parvati takes their empty plates to the sink.

"He probably has a life. Not that you'd know anything about that." Parvati winks as she heads past him and out of the kitchen.

Dean puts his head in his hands. Why had he agreed to this?

A ping from the laptop has Dean's head shooting up. He sees the name on his screen and a grin spreads across his face.

 _Received: secs ago._

 _Seamus: I did! It's absolutely beautiful, if a little crowded. Did you know you're not allowed to eat on the Spanish Steps? I went to get some gelato after seeing the fountain and sat down on the step to eat it. Some police type woman started speaking to me in Italian and I didn't understand. A nearby woman had to translate for me. It was so embarrassing._

Another message appears while Dean is reading.

 _Seamus: Where's the best place you've been on vacation?_

 _Seamus: Sorry about the double message. Well, I guess it's triple message now. *embarrassed emoji*_

Dean curses the fact that Parvati isn't here to help with the message this time as he begins to type.

 _Dean: No way! I can't believe you got told off by the police. How was the gelato, though? Best place I've been is probably Athens. The architecture there is beautiful. Plus, I have a bit of a soft spot for Greek mythology._

 _Dean: Don't worry about the double message. See, I can do it too. :p_

He immediately regrets sending that last message. Why isn't there a delete option for messages you've sent?

* * *

They don't stop talking. Every minute they're awake, they're talking. Seamus even manages to message Dean while he's at work despite the fact they're not supposed to have their phones in the lab.

 _Received: secs ago._

 _Seamus: You'll never believe what Kaitlyn just did! We're supposed to be working on a cure for… well, actually I'm not legally allowed to say what for. Anyway, she mixed the wrong ingredients and managed to blow it up. That's normally my job! *laughing emoji*_

Dean can't help but laugh. If there's anything he's learnt about Seamus it's that he has a tendency to accidentally blow things up. It's how he became the office pyromaniac.

"Still talking to him?" Parvati asks. Dean jumps; he hadn't noticed her standing in his doorway.

"He gives me butterflies," Dean admits. "I've never even met him but talking to him is the highlight of my day."

"You should tell him," Parvati says. "I can see you want to more than just talking online. Tell him how you feel. He feels the same way, I'm sure."

She leaves before he can argue with her. He really doesn't want to be the first to admit his feelings, but Parvati is right. Dean really does want more than they currently have. Maybe it is time to bite the bullet and tell him.

 _Dean: This may seem like it's coming from nowhere, but it has been a few weeks and my flatmate has told me I should tell you how I feel, so here goes. Whenever you message me, I feel a rush of excitement building up inside. When you went on that work trip and didn't have any signal, I literally couldn't get you off my mind. I want more than what we have right now. I want to meet up. So, would you like to go on a date with me?_

He shuts his laptop as soon as the message has sent. Ordinarily, he'd have been waiting on the edge of his seat for Seamus' reply, but he felt sick. Dean pulled an art pad out from a drawer, but his hand doesn't move. Normally, he can draw anything at any time, but he's far too worked up about what Seamus is going to reply so he opens his laptop up again to check the conversation.

 _Last message: Dean, 3 mins ago._

The minutes seem to stretch for hours and Dean starts pacing his room. His footsteps are so loud that Parvati comes in to ask what's up.

"I really wish you wouldn't do that," she says. "I can hear it through the walls and it's super irritating."

"Well, I'm sorry for being nervous. I'll just turn my emotions off, shall I?"

"Why are you like this?" she asks when he's explained the situation. "You're acting like a crazed schoolgirl."

Dean's about to reply when a ping alerts him to a new message.

 _Received: secs ago._

 _Seamus: I was starting to think you'd never ask. I thought I'd have to do it myself but I sent the first message so I thought it was time to make you do some of the work. :p I'd love to go on a date with you._

Parvati is grinning at him when he looks up.

"Well?" she asks.

"We're going on a date!" he tells her, suspicion starting to cloud his mind at how much Parvati had to do with this. "How did you know he'd say yes?"

"I didn't know. I hoped."

Parvati's smile is genuine, and for the first time in a while, Dean starts to feel hopeful about his future.

* * *

 **Word Count:** 2,069.

* * *

 **This is for:**

 ** _Hogwarts World Cup Event – Uruguay;_**  
 _Online Dating!_ au

 ** _Hogwarts Yearly Event – Insane House Challenge;_**  
 _648\. (dialogue) "Who's that?"_

 ** _Hogwarts Yearly Event – 365 Prompts;_**  
 _30\. Online Dating!_ au

 ** _Hogwarts Writing Club – Disney Challenge;_**  
 _C4 – Write about someone being forced to do something they don't want to do_

 ** _Hogwarts Writing Club – Book Club;_**  
 _Curly – (word) crazed, (trait) pyromaniac, (word) rush_

 ** _Hogwarts Writing Club – Showtime;_**  
 _2\. (emotion) nervous_

 ** _Hogwarts Writing Club – Amber's Attic;_**  
 _S5 – DeanSeamus_

 ** _Hogwarts Writing Club – Angel's Arcade;_**  
 _Namine – (_ au _) artist, (colour) white, (object) art pad_

 ** _Hogwarts Writing Club – Bex's Biscuit Barrel;_**  
 _Flapjack – (word) suspicion, (character) Seamus Finnegan, (dialogue) "Why are you like this?"_

 ** _Hogwarts Seasonal Event – Days of the Year;_**  
 _Gay Pride – Write_ slash

 ** _Hogwarts Seasonal Event – Summer Prompts;_**  
 _(word) vacation_

 ** _Hogwarts Seasonal Event – Birthstones;_**  
 _Topaz – (dialogue) "He/she gives me butterflies."_

 ** _Hogwarts Seasonal Event – Flowers;_**  
 _Peony – (sexuality) bisexual_

 ** _Hogwarts Seasonal Event – Fire Element;_**  
 _(quote) "If it doesn't burn a little, then what's the point in playing with fire?" - Bridgett_ Devoue

 ** _Hogwarts Seasonal Event – Shay's Musical Challenge;_**  
 _The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee – Write about being forced to do something_

 ** _Hogwarts Seasonal Event – Gryffindor Themed Prompts;_**  
 _(character) Dean Thomas_

 ** _Hogwarts Northern Funfair – Ghost Train;_**  
 _Compartment 7 – (colour) black_

 ** _Hogwarts Eastern Funfair – Ferris Wheel;_**  
 _(pairing) DeanSeamus_

 ** _Hogwarts Southern Funfair – Wheel of Fortune;_**  
 _(dialogue) "I really wish you wouldn't do that."_

 ** _Hogwarts July Event – Hamilton Mania;_**  
 _Act One, 12 – (colour) white_  
 _OP1 – (character) Seamus Finnegan_

 ** _Hogwarts Fortnightly Event – Canadian Craze!;_**  
 _3\. (dialogue) "Couldn't get you off my mind."_

 ** _Hogwarts Chocolate Frog Cards Club;_**  
 _(gold) Kappa – Incorporate someone sneaking up on someone or making them jump in your story_

 ** _Pairing Diversity Bootcamp;_**  
 _DeanSeamus, (word) guess_

 ** _Character Diversity Bootcamp;_**  
 _Dean Thomas, (word) building_


End file.
